Can't afford a trip to DLP this summer - so...advice needed!

[RoseBug]

We are being silly thinking we could afford to go this summer, it could end up costing a fortune if a deal doesn't come up etc.

So we are going to sensible and try to squeeze in a trip before the 20th anniversary ends - or wait til next summer, so we catch Fantillusion etc. Which would you do?

When does the 20th celebrations end?

 

[kizzabel]

Well technically it will end mid March but many of the parades / shows from the 15th anniversary seemed to carry on for years - like the OUAD parade.
From mid March until the start of April there won't be much on though.

 

[jothp]

Well as a teacher if you wanted to go after the summer but before the 20th ends it would mean October half term, christmas or February half term again. If you fancy halloween and think you could save enough by then you could try October. Otherwise seeing as your daughter got upset by the cold I think it would probably be best to wait until next summer.

 

[RoseBug]

Well as a teacher if you wanted to go after the summer but before the 20th ends it would mean October half term, christmas or February half term again. If you fancy halloween and think you could save enough by then you could try October. Otherwise seeing as your daughter got upset by the cold I think it would probably be best to wait until next summer.

Halloween would be fab (our fave time of year!) We could go for a weekend though - flying after school on a Friday and home late Sunday night!

 

[DLPDreams]

What about October half term midweek - weekends are always so busy at DLRP (we will be doing part of a weekend at Christmas but it's the only way we could fit it in with school).

I'm sure Oct half term is a little later this year so it might not be too busy. We LOVED Halloween (well, the bits we saw) ...

 

[zinderella]

As OP have said, for the last anniversary the celebrations lasted about 2 1/2 years if remember right!!! They will have invested a lot of money in the Dreams castle show, and the xtra parade bits and new music (and training all the dancers to do the parade) so I would expect you would have time to save up and vist next year.

 

[princessmummy]

It depends how old the rest of the family are.....

The late openings in the summer are fantastic if the kids are old enough to enjoy them.

The late night parades and fireworks are just wonderful, and the warmer weather makes it so much more magical (to me anyway)

If your kids are younger, and won't stay up for this then go when the parades etc are earlier, then you will still see everything, and won't feel you're missing out by leaving the parks before they shut.

I saved up for my passes by putting one note aside every time I went to the cashpoint...... I never really noticed the money sliding away, and it bought the passes for us, that have given us a year of magic!

Plus I stopped going to coffee shops, and put the £2.50 for each cup away in another jar for 'disney money'
Its amazing how quickly you can save up if you do lots of little things.... and lets not get started on the ebay!

Enjoy your little sacrifices, I now fill up my pots with a smile, each cup of coffee I don't have is more magic

Good luck!

 

[donna307]

As far as I know, the anniversary celebrations run up until the end of September but as mentioned a few times above, the 15th anniversary stuff went on for years! Id you don't mind going just for a weekend, why don't you go in September while the weather is still warm and the Halloween stuff will be starting to make an appearance as well?

Money saving tips. Well I started putting just £2 away a day into a little pot (similar to the coffee thing but I don't drink coffee) And you would be amazed how quickly it gathers up and you honestly don't notice it's missing. I put it away at the end of the working day, straight out of my purse then it's forgotten about. E-bay is good as well. Clear out your old clothes, sort them into piles of maybe 5 or 6 items, photograph and list them all together so that they are all finishing at the same time. If you do it on a Sunday night and list for 7 days so it finishes at the same time the following week, you will get good sales as folk tend to buy on eBay at the weekends and/or nights as well. What about making your own lunches for work? I find this saves a great amount of money instead of nipping out to grab something from somewhere.

I really hope you manage to find a good deal and get to go again this year. Its amazing what you can do when you want something

 

[RoseBug]

We do all those money saving tips anyway - after a crippling extended maternity leave, we have to. But we have been looking at finances, and as DD is now 3 and her free nursery kicks in after Easter, we will be slightly better off each month (until the govt increase my pension contributions by £100 a month to over £350! ) so I am thinking we could pull together about £800 by June to pay for hotel and spending (flights can be paid for now), if we can get a good deal! Disneyland Direct is showing some offers atm - has anyone booked with these before?

 

[Jonjo]

I would not be surprised to see the 20th anniversary celebrations last as long as the 15th - what was that again at 3 years?

 

[Ware Bears]

It certainly felt like 3 years! I remember seeing Candleabration in October 2007 (actual 15th year) then again in August 2008!

 

[jothp]

Halloween would be fab (our fave time of year!) We could go for a weekend though - flying after school on a Friday and home late Sunday night!

Sorry I had assumed you were still looking at a slightly longer trip.

 

[RoseBug]

Sorry I had assumed you were still looking at a slightly longer trip.

Oh, we are - but if push came to shove, could possibly do a weekend! However, the suggestion of October half term has got us very excited, and really hoping we manage to get a great deal on flights (not released yet) and 3 nights/4 days - with an offsite stay on the Monday night as we would prob arrive very late!